Slivers of Time
by KeepCalmAndWriteSomething
Summary: 365 moments of love and hardship, life and death, happiness and grief. - Collection of drabbles written about various characters.
1. And He Shall Rise From the Ashes

**And He Shall Rise From the Ashes**

**Day 2 of 365**

**Prompt: Secrets**

-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-

"_Lies and secrets, they are like a cancer in the soul. They eat away what is good and leave only destruction behind._" - Cassandra Clare

Malfoy Manor was silent, choked under years of dust and secrets.

It had been a long time since he had set foot in this place. The few pictures that hadn't been covered up stared down at him accusingly. Their harsh gazes said what they would not.

That he had abandoned this place.

Draco felt a slight twinge of guilt as he looked around at the neglect. This had once been a beautiful place. Now, the carpets released small clouds of dust at every step and the curtains trembled with what was surely a doxy infestation.

It had changed, and so had he.

He ran a hand across the faded, peeling wallpaper and sighed. This had been his haven in simpler times. Times when his father had been his hero. A man who could do no wrong.

His family had fled this manor and what it stood for years ago. Left the furniture and the paintings and the family heirlooms. Left their prejudices in these rooms and then locked the doors.

Now that he had returned, Draco was reminded painfully of what this place used to be. This house, where he had run up and down the halls barefoot as a child, had been home to a demon. For that is surely what You-Know-Who had been. A serpent in the form of a man, who had dripped words of poison into his family's ears.

The Malfoy Manor became synonymous with death and murder. Hate and cruelty. Destruction and devastation. Draco had not been able to be proud of this place or his family's name for a very long time.

But now, all that was about to change. Because he was expecting a son. It was still strange to think that in just a few short months, he was going to be a father.

And that was the whole reason for being here. He wanted to make this house into something that he and his family could be proud of again. Draco wanted his son to be able to run down these halls barefoot just like he had.

He knew it wasn't going to be easy, but, eventually, this place was going to be a home again.


	2. Looking On the Bright Side of Things

**Looking On the Bright Side of Things**

**Day 3 of 365**

**Prompt: Romance**

-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-

"_A Mother's love is something that no one can explain, It is made of deep devotion and of sacrifice and pain,_" - Helen Steiner Rice

Laundry folded. Dishes washed. Beds made. Furniture dusted.

Molly sighed restlessly for the hundredth time that afternoon. Percy, the twins, Ron and Ginny had all left for Hogwarts two days ago. Bill and Charlie were off living their lives and Arthur was at work.

For the first time in twenty-two years, The Burrow lay silent. It seemed almost unnatural.

No scampering feet or shouting. No one to ask her where their shoes were. No one to cook breakfast or dinner for. No one to depend on her.

She felt a slight prickle behind her eyelids. Sinking down onto the couch, she dabbed at her eyes with her sleeve.

What was she to do now? Molly couldn't remember a time when this place had been so clean. It certainly was easier to maintain when there wasn't a battalion following behind her, undoing in seconds what had taken her hours to clean. But now, she'd give anything to have that chaos back.

The sound of the back door opening and closing brought her out of her reverie. A moment later and Arthur had popped his head around the corner.

"Hello, Mollywobbles," he said with a genial smile.

"Arthur, what are you doing here?" She bustled over to him, placing a soft kiss on his lips. The loneliness that had been threatening to consume her all morning quickly abated.

He gave her a knowing look. "I came home early to spend some time with you."

Molly turned away from him and began to straighten some pillows on the couch. Even though they had been quite straight to begin with. "I'm doing just fine. No need to check up on me."

He caught her hand in his and spun her around once more. "Molly, dear, I know this hard on you. You don't have to pretend that it's not."

She crumbled under his gaze. Returning to her seat on the couch, she replied, "Well, maybe it's been a _little_ bit lonely."

He nodded. "I know. But you have to look on the bright side of things."

She arched a brow. "Oh? And what would that be?"

Arthur grinned and, turning quickly on the spot, jogged back into the kitchen. Before she could ask what he was up to, he had returned, one hand hidden behind his back.

"Because, after waiting years for this moment, I finally have you all to myself." And with a flourish, he produced a handful of wildflowers that he had surely picked from the backyard.

A faint blush swept across her face as she beamed at him. "Thank you, Arthur. They're beautiful."

"Just like you, m'dear. Just like you."

Their lips met again. Slowly and patiently, because there was no one to disturb them. They had all of the time in the world now.


	3. Love Potions

**Love Potions**

**Day 4 of 365**

**Prompt: Love Potion**

-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-

"_And now here is my secret, a very simple secret; it is only with the heart that one can see rightly, what is essential is invisible to the eye._" - Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Fred watched Hermione out of the corner of his eye. She, along with the rest of his family, had lumbered into Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes fifteen minutes earlier. Everyone else had scattered about the store, leaving her on her own.

She was now bent over a shimmering display of love potions, her thick hair concealing her face from view. But that was alright, because he had already memorized all of her features, from the lines in her brow that appeared when she was concentrating to the small, pinprick of a freckle beside her nose.

He didn't need to see her face now to know that she was beautiful.

He felt something hit the back of his head and spun around to meet a pair of eyes identical to his. George had thrown a wad of paper at him, and was now watching him with an expression that told him to get a move on.

Fred shook his head. There was no way that he could go over there. He wasn't stupid; he knew she wasn't interested in him.

George grabbed another piece of paper and wadded it up. He cocked back his arm, as if to throw it at him, and gave him a pointed look.

Fred rolled his eyes at his twin, but surrendered and walked towards Hermione. She now held a bottle of love potion in her hand, closely examining the label. The glittering of the liquid cast her face into a play of shadows.

"I don't think you need that."

She hadn't heard him approach, and jumped slightly when he spoke. Her face scrunched in confusion. "What's that supposed to mean?"

He shrugged his shoulders, trying to seem calm and confident. In reality, his stomach was squirming pitifully. "I don't think that you would ever need a potion to make people love you. You're beautiful, so they already love you all on their own."

Hermione replaced the bottle and gave him a suspicious sort of look. "Is this the part where you make a joke?"

He shook his head. "Nope, no joke. Just didn't want you wasting your money on something that you didn't need."

Now, she seemed very skeptical. Placing her hands on her hips, she asked, "_You think I'm beautiful?_"

"Yes," he said simply.

She scoffed. "Is this some sort of bet?"

Fred sighed impatiently, throwing his hands in the air. "Merlin, Hermione. Do you make it this difficult on every bloke that asks you on a date?"

"You're asking me on a date?"

"Well, I was getting to it! Let me take you to lunch tomorrow," he said, noting the dumbfounded expression on her face.

There was a moment of silence where she seemed to be processing everything that he had said. Then she nodded her head slowly. "Okay. I'll meet you here tomorrow."

The trademark Weasley grin returned to his face. "Alright then. It's a date."

Then, he sauntered back to his twin to give him a high-five.


End file.
